Do you know how you get that feeling of confusion, forgetfulness, and lack of focus now and then? It’s termed as ‘Brain Fog’.
Brain fog isn’t a medical condition. It’s a term used for certain symptoms that can affect your ability to think.
You may feel confused or disorganized or find it hard to focus or put your thoughts into words.
Let’s discuss in detail brain fog, its symptoms, causes, and different ways of beating brain fog.
Table of Contents
What is Brain Fog?
Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, and a loss of attention and mental clarity.
Overworking, lack of sleep, stress, and spending too much time on the computer can all contribute to this.
Brain fog is thought to be produced by excessive levels of inflammation and changes in hormones that control your mood, energy, and focus on a cellular level. Hormone levels that are out of balance throw the entire system off.
In addition, brain fog syndrome can contribute to obesity, irregular menstruation, and diabetes mellitus.
Brain Fog Causes
There are various reasons why people experience brain fog. You can start correcting the problem once you’ve identified the underlying reason. There are six possible reasons for this:
1. Stress
According to Dr. Muhammad Imran Sharif, a well-known psychiatrist with eight years of experience, chronic stress can cause high blood pressure, weakened immune systems, and depression. It can also lead to mental exhaustion.
It’s more difficult to think, reason, and focus when your brain is weary.
2. Lack of Sleep
Sleep deprivation can affect how well your brain functions. Aim for a good night’s sleep of 8 to 9 hours.
Sleep deprivation might result in poor concentration and hazy thinking.
3. Hormonal Changes
Brain fog can also be caused by hormonal changes.
During pregnancy, the hormones progesterone and estrogen rise in the body. This alteration has the potential to disrupt memory and induce short-term cognitive impairment.
Studies show that during menopause, a decline in estrogen levels can lead to forgetfulness, poor focus, and hazy thinking.
4. Diet
Brain fog can also be caused by a poor diet.
Vitamin B12 supports healthy brain function, and a vitamin B12 deficiency can cause brain fog.
Brain fog can arise after eating specific foods if you have food allergies or sensitivities. These are some of them:
- Aspartame
- Peanuts
- Dairy
It’s possible that eliminating trigger items from your diet will help you feel better.
5. Medications
Consult your doctor if you get brain fog while taking medicine. Brain fog may be due to a known adverse effect of certain drugs. Lowering your dosage or switching to a different medicine may help you feel better.
Brain fog can also develop as a result of cancer treatment. Chemo brain is the term for this.
6. Multiple Sclerosis
This illness affects your central nervous system and can alter how your brain communicates with the rest of your body.
Memory, attention, planning, and language problems affect almost half of MS patients. Learning and memory exercises can help, and a therapist can teach you new ways to approach the things that are causing you problems.
7. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Your body and mind may stay exhausted for a long time if you have this illness. You may be perplexed, forgetful, and unable to concentrate.
CFS has no known cure, however, medicine, exercise, and talk therapy may be beneficial.
8. Depression
It’s possible that you won’t recall things well or that you won’t be able to think through problems quickly.
It’s difficult to say if this is linked to depression’s loss of energy and motivation, or whether depression affects your brain in a way that creates the fog.
Medication and conversation therapy should help you get back on track with your depression treatment.
Brain Fog Symptoms
Here’s a list of brain fog symptoms that you need to look out for:
- Trouble sleeping, Insomnia
- Headaches
- Low energy or fatigue
- Impaired cognitive function
- Mood swings
- Irritable
- Forgetfulness
- Trouble concentrating
- Low motivation, lack of ideas
- Excessive absences
- Mildly depressed
Ways to Beat Brain Fog: What You Can Do About it?
There are some ways and steps you can adopt to beat the brain fog, e.g:
1. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is necessary for your brain and body to rid themselves of harmful chemicals that might cause brain fog.
Make it a point to stick to a regular sleep pattern and get seven to nine hours of sleep every night.
Before going to bed, avoid using electronic devices such as your phone, laptop, or television.
2. Try New Things
Make an effort to explore new things and keep your mind stimulated with mentally stimulating hobbies.
Take an alternative route to work, attempt a new approach to a chore you undertake on a daily basis, or listen to new music. This can aid in the creation of norepinephrine, a brain chemical that stimulates the brain.
3. Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking saps your energy and reduces productivity, especially if you’re attempting to complete two tasks that demand conscious attention.
Concentrate on one issue at a time.
4. Work on Your Memory
If you’re prone to forgetting stuff, consider a variety of memory-boosting techniques.
Rhymes, mnemonics, and visual or verbal cues, for example, can help you recall crucial information.
You can also attempt repetition; for example, if someone says their name to you, repeat it back to them to help you remember it.
5. Take Mental Breaks
Make it a point to take a few mental breaks during the day when you don’t think about anything and are completely present.
Close your eyes, go for a brief walk, or gaze out the window.
6. Focus Your Attention
Slow down and focus all of your concentration on one task if you become distracted by several things or lose focus. Then, no matter how minor the task is, work on accomplishing it.
7. Stay Socially Active
Social activities can help you improve your mood, memory, and cognition.
8. Engage in Deep Thought
Spend some time each day in deep thinking to keep your mind in shape.
Spend 10 minutes pondering the content of an article, for example, if you’ve just finished reading it.
9. Exercise Regularly
While exercise may appear to be the cure-all for practically any condition, it’s critical to ensure that you’re getting enough regular exercise to be fit and healthy.
Adults should engage in some form of physical activity every day and for at least 150 minutes per week.
Whether you go swimming, for a stroll, or do some relaxing yoga, it will help you relieve tension and move away from your computer, giving you the best opportunity of clearing your head.
10. Follow a Healthy Diet
It’s no secret that your food has a significant impact on your general health, but it can also contribute to the reduction, or exacerbation, of brain fog.
Although it may be tempting to get yet another food delivery so you can work a few more hours, eating less nutritional meals on a frequent basis can contribute to the illness.
The following are some of the greatest foods for battling brain fog:
- Foods strong in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as oily fish, nuts, and seeds
- Foods high in vitamin B12, such as eggs, cheese, milk, fish, and meat
- Eggs, cauliflower, peanuts, and fish are all high in choline
- Anti-inflammatory curcumin-rich foods and supplements, such as raw turmeric shots
11. Stay Hydrated
When you’re caught in back-to-back Zoom meetings or have a never-ending to-do list, it can be difficult to keep your hydration levels up; yet, dehydration is a major contributor to brain fog.
Because your brain is made up of 75% water, when your hydration levels start to decline, so do your concentration levels!
In fact, even a 2% drop in brain hydration can cause short-term memory loss and concentration difficulties.
While it may be tempting to grab another cup of coffee in order to feel more alert, this might really have the opposite effect, dehydrating you even more.
Instead, aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water every day, or a few sips at a time.
Putting it all Together!
Brain fog can adversely affect a person’s day-to-day activities.
Completing simple tasks may be more challenging due to brain fog. As a result of missed deadlines and confrontations with coworkers or loved ones, anxiety may develop.
You can treat both anxiety and the cognitive fog it generates, with the correct medication.
People who are worried about their anxiety or brain fog should get help as soon as possible, particularly if the symptoms are severe. Consult a well-known general physician anywhere near you via Healthwire’s platform.
